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Description
Winery owner Olivier Bonnard is devastated when he discovers that a priceless cache of rare vintages has been stolen from his private cellar. Soon after, Monsieur Gilles d'Arras arrives at Aix-en-Provence's Palais de Justice to report another mysterious disappearance: his wife, Pauline, has vanished from their lavish apartment. Madame has always been as tough as nails, but in recent weeks she's been wandering around town in her slippers and crying for no reason. As the mistral arrives to temper the region's late-summer heat, Commissioner Paulik receives an urgent call from Bonnard: he's just found Pauline d'Arras dead in his vineyard. Verlaque and Bonnet are once again investigating in what will prove to be their most complicated case yet.
User reviews
LibraryThing member cbl_tn
It's late summer in Aix-en-Provence, and nearing time for the grape harvest. Local law enforcement are investigating attacks on several local women that resulted in their deaths. Are they looking for one perpetrator or multiple perpetrators? The timing suggests that the attacks could be related,
I correctly guessed the identity of the perpetrator(s) well before the investigators did, and the motive for the murders wasn't adequately explained. However, the Provence location and other elements of the setting made up for the minor deficiencies in the mystery plot.
Although this is the third book in the Verlaque and Bonnet series, it was my first exposure to the series. I was intrigued by the difference in the criminal justice system, particularly that of an investigating judge. Aix-en-Provence is a tourist destination, but it is also a small city where long-time residents know each others' history. While Verlaque is not originally from Aix, his girlfriend, Marine, has roots there, and her acquaintance with several key witnesses is useful to the investigation of the crimes. With its mixture of personal and professional elements, the book has the feel of both a cozy and a police procedural, leaning just a bit more toward the police procedural. Cozy readers with a low tolerance for swearing might want to give this one a try since the swearing is done in French and will be less jarring for English speakers. The setting was the biggest draw for this armchair traveler, but the book has plenty of elements to appeal to readers with other interests, including wine connoisseurs, foodies, and perhaps cigar connoisseurs and vintage car enthusiasts. Warmly recommended.
This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
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but there doesn't seem to be a common link between the murdered women. Juge d'Instruction Antoine Verlaque is on the case, with occasional assistance from his law professor girlfriend, Marine Bonnet. Meanwhile, some of the best bottles of wine are disappearing from the cellar of a local winery. The estate's manager just happens to be married to a Police Commissioner, so somehow her husband and his colleagues must find time to look into the wine thefts as well. Then the murder cases and the wine theft case unexpectedly merge...I correctly guessed the identity of the perpetrator(s) well before the investigators did, and the motive for the murders wasn't adequately explained. However, the Provence location and other elements of the setting made up for the minor deficiencies in the mystery plot.
Although this is the third book in the Verlaque and Bonnet series, it was my first exposure to the series. I was intrigued by the difference in the criminal justice system, particularly that of an investigating judge. Aix-en-Provence is a tourist destination, but it is also a small city where long-time residents know each others' history. While Verlaque is not originally from Aix, his girlfriend, Marine, has roots there, and her acquaintance with several key witnesses is useful to the investigation of the crimes. With its mixture of personal and professional elements, the book has the feel of both a cozy and a police procedural, leaning just a bit more toward the police procedural. Cozy readers with a low tolerance for swearing might want to give this one a try since the swearing is done in French and will be less jarring for English speakers. The setting was the biggest draw for this armchair traveler, but the book has plenty of elements to appeal to readers with other interests, including wine connoisseurs, foodies, and perhaps cigar connoisseurs and vintage car enthusiasts. Warmly recommended.
This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
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LibraryThing member Yllom
Love this series. Think it is a readalike for Louise Penny and Donna Leon.
LibraryThing member Auntie-Nanuuq
The owner of the winery that Helene Paulik works for has discovered that random bottles of wine are disappearing, some very rare, some not-so rare, and they know it is an inside job. Judge Antoine Verlaque hires a former wine thief turned connoisseur to help investigate.
A young woman is found raped
Verlaque requests the aid of his girlfriend, law professor, Marine Bonnet with investigating the disappearance of Marine's neighbor, the woman w/ Alzheimer's.
I can not quite put my finger on why I didn't particularly care for this one; I think maybe it was incomplete.
We were never told much about the two women who were raped & murdered; there wasn't enough story of the missing wine; and the thing I found really off was when one of the suspects turned out to be the newest member of Verlaque's cigar club, another member got very nasty rude w/ Verlaque for doing his job and questioning the man.
This book also lacked the rich dining experiences & personal touch between Verlaque & Marine.
From my experience, every series has it's disappointing installment, so far as I have read, this is the one. I have 2 more remaining in the series.... I hope the others read better.
A young woman is found raped
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& strangulated, while recovering in the hospital she suddenly dies from heart failure; an older woman w/ the onset of Alzheimer's who causes an untold amount of problems for her neighbors goes missing, eventually to be found dead (coshed in the head w/ a rock) in the aforementioned vineyard; and third woman is found dead, also raped & strangulated in her apartment.Verlaque requests the aid of his girlfriend, law professor, Marine Bonnet with investigating the disappearance of Marine's neighbor, the woman w/ Alzheimer's.
I can not quite put my finger on why I didn't particularly care for this one; I think maybe it was incomplete.
We were never told much about the two women who were raped & murdered; there wasn't enough story of the missing wine; and the thing I found really off was when one of the suspects turned out to be the newest member of Verlaque's cigar club, another member got very nasty rude w/ Verlaque for doing his job and questioning the man.
This book also lacked the rich dining experiences & personal touch between Verlaque & Marine.
From my experience, every series has it's disappointing installment, so far as I have read, this is the one. I have 2 more remaining in the series.... I hope the others read better.
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LibraryThing member murderbydeath
Better than the last book; the multiple POVs here work better and Death in the Vines didn't feel as slow to start as book 2.
Three brutal murders just 1 week apart, all women. Two of them identical attacks of young women, but the third is an old woman showing signs of dementia. Proximity and timing
In the midst of this we have little vignettes of the supporting characters that are mostly charming; an odd twist with Marine Bonnet didn't quite work for me, but I suppose it worked to move their relationship a bit. But the biggest non-plot news is Verleque's mysterious secret in his past is revealed - and it's a doozy; in a completely unexpected way. Very interesting ground the author is treading here; the big reveal doesn't really happen until almost the end, and it's not followed up on, so I don't know where she's going to go from here, if anywhere.
But I have book 4 ready to go, so I won't have to wait long to find out.
Three brutal murders just 1 week apart, all women. Two of them identical attacks of young women, but the third is an old woman showing signs of dementia. Proximity and timing
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make all three related but no one can find the connection. This series is, at its heart, a police procedural so the story moves along in stops and starts as new evidence is collected and more information is run-down. The unmasking was a little bit abrupt, but perhaps that's how some cases end up, who knows?In the midst of this we have little vignettes of the supporting characters that are mostly charming; an odd twist with Marine Bonnet didn't quite work for me, but I suppose it worked to move their relationship a bit. But the biggest non-plot news is Verleque's mysterious secret in his past is revealed - and it's a doozy; in a completely unexpected way. Very interesting ground the author is treading here; the big reveal doesn't really happen until almost the end, and it's not followed up on, so I don't know where she's going to go from here, if anywhere.
But I have book 4 ready to go, so I won't have to wait long to find out.
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LibraryThing member diana.hauser
DEATH IN THE VINES by M. L. Longworth is a Verlaque and Bonnet Provencal Mystery, Book #3.
“When theft escalates to murder at a French vineyard, a crime wave sweeps over the tranquil town of Aix-en-Provence.”
I like this title and this series very much. The characters are very detailed and
I am very ready to begin Book #4. ****
“When theft escalates to murder at a French vineyard, a crime wave sweeps over the tranquil town of Aix-en-Provence.”
I like this title and this series very much. The characters are very detailed and
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likable. The location is extremely picturesque. The reader is endlessly wined and dined. The food, the wines, the cooking, the traveling throughout the south of France leave me in a very restful, thoughtful holiday-like mood. The mysteries are also very interesting and well-structured.I am very ready to begin Book #4. ****
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LibraryThing member Romonko
I love this series. I love the characters and the place ( south of France). And I really like the mysteries set around wine and food. In this one three somewhat related murders occur just outside of Aix. Verlaque and his girlfriend Bonnet, as well as Commissioner Pulik are trying to determine the
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link that connects all three deaths. With lots of wine and food sidesteps, they are on the trail of a killer. In typical M L Longworth fashion, even the victims are suspect, The mystery is finally uncovered, but the search for the killer is exciting and edge-of-your-seat. I love this series, It tickles me down to my toes. It's delicious and entrancing. I listened to this on audiobook, and I think it enhanced the tension. Highly recommend--this whole series, Show Less